Blood Boil
by FullstopBlaster
Summary: Spock contracts a virus, and it's possible that it will spread if they do not find the antidote in time. Fearing the worst Spock melds with McCoy in a last ditch effort to save his memories somewhere anywhere. The waiting game is the worst part of all this, and McCoy isn't quite sure the full extent of what has happened.
1. Blood Boil

Blood Boil

"Time flows in waves, sometimes these waves meet their ebb and die. This is neither good nor bad, it simply is. History does not repeat itself. Time simply happens again. This is always bad." – From a ninja turtles comic, but in this text it's very prophetic.

Iron and copper blood - lets not forget that Spock is indeed HALF human..there is a possibility that some anomalies exist in this blood that make him less vulcan.

This will eventually Ship Spock/Bones. This may be very subtle, but none the less will exist in that context.

* * *

He woke with a start his hand on his head as he shifted forward. He growled and rolled his legs off the berth, as he stood moving to the washroom. He pulled the glass across the counter sliding it down into the sink as he filled it with water and downed the glass like a shot of whiskey.

He stood there a moment, observing himself in the mirror. This was getting out of hand. He kept seeing visions and rehashing memories that were not his own; he was helpless to stop them.

His mind prodded the meld bond, the one he shared it with mere meters away in the next room. The feelings were returned and he nodded. "Guess it's chess again." He sighed grabbing a shirt before turning into the next room to set up the game board.

* * *

"Get a stretcher in here now!" The young doctor grumbled about how good the 'help was these days' as a penlight flashed into the eyes of the Vulcan on the floor. "Really? You go and do this, you damned green blooded-" He didn't have time to finish the statement as the stretcher appeared and he continued to scan as the medical assistants and first responders began to move the prone male onto the backboard.

"Careful with the commander."

"What happened to him Bones?" kirk.

Turning McCoy shook his head. "I won't know until I have a closer look."

Kirk nodded his eyes clearly on the commander, but he spoke evenly; calmly. "Keep me informed."

"Yes sir." McCoy turned away to the lift and followed his crew back to medical. He pressed a wall communicator. "McCoy to medical, Nurse Chapel prepare a private medbay and ready those neural scanner devices. "

"The Vulcan devices that you distrust?" came the response.

"Just do it." McCoy said and looked down at Spock as he released the communicator button. "I'm never going to let you live this down." He uttered and the lift opened and McCoy led the team forward.

Nurse Chapel was keeping the medical bay doors open as the Vulcan commander was pushed in on the floating stretcher. "I need my med kit." McCoy demanded.

She spun on her heels. "Yes sir." Lost in the muffle of voices.

"You lot get him on the med bay and get the damned stretcher out of my way." He said as he began to mutter and turn on various scanners in the room. "NURSE! MEDKIT! NOW!" he was wearing thin, but she appeared just as he had finished yelling and handed the kit over.

McCoy set it down on a small table and extracted a hypo and injected the Vulcan. "Lets get a look at those organs shall we?" He said and pressed a few buttons on the scanner. "Scan the hobgoblin's blood…I want to know what's happening in there damnit."

* * *

Kirk looked up as the lift opened onto the bridge, it had been four hours since Spock had been taken from the bridge. Kirk stood and turned meeting Dr. McCoy's eyes. "Report."

"In your ready room, not here." McCoy said, and the serious of that make Kirk cringe slightly as he extended an arm for the doctor to proceed him.

McCoy walked in and turned around as the doors shut. "Gimme your arm kid."

"What?" Kirk came forward. "What for?"

"Because…I have to inoculate you." McCoy held a hypo in his hand. "It's not good, it's a virus; Choriocytosis." He took Kirk's sleeve and rolled it up pressing the hypo into his arm with a hiss. "I'll have to set up a schedule and get everyone else on board inoculated temporarily."

Kirk winced only a moment. "I hate those things."

"So what is this virus doing to him?" Kirk asked as he rolled down his sleeves.

"It's suffocating his organs Jim, it's preventing the oxygen from getting where it needs to go." McCoy shook his head. "Like a pinched fuel line in a prototype ship, you have to find the engineer who built her to fix the damage. Or in this case we need to find some real Stobolin. Spock will be come immune to the synthetic stuff in a few days a week if we're remotely lucky. And then the crew will become immune to the inoculant, and we'll have a full outbreak on our hands."

"So it is contagious. There is a cure, no bigs…we'll head back to Starbase-"

"It's not that easy Jim, this stuff is rare, impossibly rare. There are very few places to get it." He sighed. "All humans and Vulcans on board will be susceptible to this….wel that's no true ..any of the life forms on the ship with Iron or copper in their blood." McCoy shook his head. "We'll have a damned full blown epidemic on our hands. Vulcans rely highly on the transfer of oxygen to their organs, we can only hope that he's human enough to not make this much worse than it could be."

"How did he catch it?" Kirk turned still rubbing at his arm.

"No idea Jim, but we need to do something. Get in touch with Starfleet, and ask them for their help." McCoy sighed. "It's the best we got, I'll be damned if I lose that green blooded-" McCoy bit his own tongue he was far too frustrated to continue that rant.

"I'll keep you in formed." Kirk nodded. "Keep me updated on his progress I'll be by later to check in with medical."

"Yes sir." McCoy began to turn and shook his head. "Make it fast Jim, he doesn't have the time you might think does." It sounded grave coming from the older man; and it absolutely was.

* * *

Spock was in quarantine, and wasn't going anywhere. He had regained consciousness but it hadn't been lasting. His in and out was broken by requests for McCoy. "I told you commander." Nurse Chapel administered the next synthetic dose. "He's not here right now…he's talking to the capta-"

The doors hissed open and McCoy stepped in. "Doctor." The nurse turned. "he's asking for you."

McCoy dropped the hypo onto an empty berth and moved to Spock's berthside. "Easy." He said. "You don't need to be moving around Commander." He looked to the medical bay scanner and then looked back at the patient. He put a hand on Spock's shoulder as his other hand began to tap at the computer screen.

"What…" Spock's voice was weak, and though his face remained stoic his eyes gave the doctor witness to his emotions.

"It's called Choriocytosis. Have you heard of it?"

The Vulcan nodded. "We're giving you a synthetic form of Strobolin. It will be a temporary solution." McCoy sighed. "Jim's contacting Starfreet about the possibility of getting our mitts on the real stuff." He said as the Vulcan grabbed his wrist lightly. "What can I do to make you comfortable commander?" McCoy's barriers fell and he couldn't crack a joke right now, it wasn't possible. "I cannot do much..." he admitted honestly. "But I can lower the lights if you like, or raise the heat, I know how you damned vulcans like your heat."

Spock said nothing as his hand rose up. McCoy eyed the hand as it inched for his face and blinked. "What in the name of a texas torna-" Suddenly, that hand pressed into his face. "What are you doing?"

"Live." Spock said, truly fearful of his own demise but it wasn't clear to McCoy the context of the word. "My mind-..my thoughts-" He muttered unable to finish the sentence but able to complete the meld without the need to say the pedantic lines that accompanied.

McCoy felt a flash and toppled backward slamming into the bulkhead, knocking down a medical tray and hitting the floor.

The clambering caught Chapel's attention and she ran in. "DOCTOR!"

McCoy blinked and held a hand up to her. "I'm fine." He uttered calmly but blankly. "He just …." He turned forced himself up not caring about the mess. His body wavered and he groaned before looking directly at Spock as his hand found the bulkhead behind and his other hand remained on his head. "What was that?" He muttered. "You ...he nodded and a wash of thanks hit him, as he knew exactly where he needed to go.

Spock could only nod at him. McCoy turned and shook his head, he was very dizzy and processing a lot of information and memory at one time.

McCoy hit the comm on the wall and took a breath to steady himself. "Captain its McCoy."

"Go ahead Doctor."

"We need to head in the direction of the planet Allanor." McCoy uttered still pinching his head. "They are going to have the Strobolin we need to save the commander…possibly the rest of the ship if it gets that bad in the interim." _Did he just say interim?_

"And you know this how?" Kirk questioned him.

"Look Jim that emotionless Vulcan touched me…he did something and I just… He told me, okay, that's the simplest way I can tell you." He uttered. "Get to Allanor."

Kirk was hard at work looking at the Star Chart. "That's right smack in the center of the neutral zone Bones. The Romulans will not be too thrilled about us entering that space."

"I don't care if it's in the middle of a pit fight with a Klingon targ and his Master. You need to get there now all our lives could depend on it." McCoy cut the communications.

"Sulu …make it happen." Kirk's chair spun forward and he leaned forward looking as an ensign brought up a datapad with information on it and walked away.

"yes sir." The helmsman turned and punched in his coordinates. "Setting course for Allanor." He said calmly. "Course laid in…."

"Maximum warp." Kirk sat back in his chair. "Medical emergency like this warrants it." he said and looked down flitting through the pad. "Hows the repairs Scotty?"

"Fine, jus't fine." He appeared standing up from the floor turning to the command chair. "How bad is 'e?" Scotty leaned down on the side rail of a console he had been repairing. "Heard it's a wee bit on the bad side."

"Its very bad from what Bones says, and if we don't get the antidote in time, this will spread to the entire ship." Kirk shook his head slowly. "We have to make due for the moment. As you were." he didn't like dismissing Scotty like that, but his mind was elsewhere and idle chatter didn't seem right at the moment.

* * *

McCoy was still holding onto his head. "Nurse, get a list of all the crewmen who do not have Iron or Copper based blood." He stated. "We're going to need them, as they will be immune, and if we cannot stop this it may be that we'll need them to run the ship in the event this epidemic becomes unmanageable."

"Yes sir." She left and left the doctor to look back at the Vulcan.

Spock said nothing only rolled his head to one side, his breathing low. "You are never allowed to do that again." He shook his head. "Ask for a pen next time." He shook his head and sighed. "What did you do to me?" He put a free hand behind him and braced on the wall. "Well I know what you did to me and why you did it but… Jesus…" He hissed as the words came out calmly.

McCoy blinked as he looked up. "Don't apologize… stop whatever it is you're doing." He grabbed his head again. "Don't push your emotions at me." As suddenly as the emotional transference was affecting him it was gone. "Promise me this isn't permanent."

The Vulcan said nothing and turned his young head away weakly and closed his eyes. "Meditate if you can…you need to stay awake for my next round of scans." McCoy muttered and pinched his eyes but attempted to gather himself enough to work through the shock of it. "Don't move to much and stay outta my head."

The Vulcan nodded, but McCoy, on the periphery of his mind could see the Vulcan wasn't sorry in the slightest. He felt the emotional transference and also the shock from Spock that he should be more affected by it. It flared as he felt the vulcan slip out of consciousness, but Spock seemed to mentally recover and then he felt the emotions slid out.

McCoy could only hope it could be reversed, the next feeling he got was disappointment. "I said stay out of my head!" he groaned and shook his head. "I'm sorry..." he uttered honestly he hadn't meant to shout. "I'll try to manage." McCoy looked over at Spock but rubbed his temples. "I'll start the next scan."

The Vulcan tried to close himself off, but with his already compromised body that was looking less likely that he would be able to, so he tried to let McCoy control the emotional link, the bond, that was in place.

Spock hoped that if he died, McCoy would be able to take his memories, everything he had learned, and be able to use the information. He knew McCoy was the best choice, at least he wouldn't laugh at the memories. Spock sighed and rolled his head and watched as Nurse Chapel came to his right and McCoy stood to his left. "Give him the next dose, and raise the heat in here four degrees, and lower the lights." McCoy droned softly.

"Yes Doctor." She nodded.

* * *

To be continued...


	2. That explains Everything

Blood Boil

Chapter 2: That explains everything….

_"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." __― Leo Tolstoy  
_

This is rather short, but when i read it with the next part I just couldn't put them together, this is better as a chapter alone...

* * *

He pressed his head to the desk and tried to will away the odd feeling in the back of his mind. He could feel the proximity and that, in and of itself, was unnerving. The nausea was more awful, and it was getting to the point he couldn't tell if it was Spock's or his own.

The shadow from the door way made him look up. "We're good?" Kirk asked as he entered rolling down his sleeve, the last of the injections.

"Yes everyone has been treated, thank you for expediting this." McCoy sat back and sighed letting his chair lay as far as it could. The heels of his hands pressed into his eyes rubbing deeply over the sockets.

"You." Kirk pointed at him. "Need a night off."

"I'm sure that would make me feel better but I still have to monitor Mr. Spock." He uttered.

"What is this?" Kirk laughed out. "No Blasted Vulcan? No emotionless robot? No Hobgoblin?" He leaned on the doorframe with a smirk.

McCoy lowered his hands and shot Kirk a glare. "We almost lost him." Bones said seriously. "Now I don't think that's very humorous."

Jim nodded. "I know." The two friends fell into silence. "But we didn't lose him. How's he doing by the way?"

"He's stable, and he's leveling. He's healing a lot faster than I had projected." McCoy stood and touched his head. "He's- ugh…he's awake if you want to go talk to him." He said softly and the tone caught Kirk off guard.

"I think I will…you sure you're okay there Bones?"

McCoy lowered the hand and nodded. "Fine Jim… absolutely fine." He motioned the captain out. "He's in medical bay one." He said calmly and waited.

A medic waked in past Kirk as he exited. "I'll be staying through B shift thank you." Kirk heard McCoy tell the overnight medic, but he continued into the medical bay one.

Spock sat up in the berth his eyes locked on a data tablet his stylus jotting down information. "If you are working…" Kirk warned and leaned on the doorframe.

"I assure you Captain I am merely making a log entry." He lowered the tablet and placed the stylus over the data tablet and folded his hands over both.

"How are you feeling?" Kirk tipped his head to the right and looked over the Vulcan sizing him up.

"Well, though I fear I may have been a bit…. " He shook his head as if he was searching for the appropriate word. "…rash."

"Rash?" Kirk strode forward. "What are you talking about?"

"When I was suffering the symptoms of the virus I could have easily made my point if I had just…" He seemed to be reasoning with himself.

"What happened?" Kirk folded his arms over his chest and looked out the main door. "No ones here Spock spill."

"I melded with the Doctor." He said calmly.

"I've done that…well with your counter part….aside from being shocking: it isn't so bad."

"It usually is harmless."

Kirk's brow rose, and he blinked. "Usually aside from feeling like your mind is going to blow up and you're heart will pound out of your chest how dangerous could it be?"

"It usually isn't." Spock turned his head to the side and blinked slowly. "Doctor McCoy's mind was very…. susceptible to the meld."

Kirk reached back grabbing a chair pulling it forward. "I don't understand."

Spock nodded. "I will try to be succinct… My meld with the Doctor is more permanent than the meld you had with my counterpart."

"Permanent?" Kirk repeated.

"Yes… We are irrevocably linked." Spock said looking up to the door. "We are able to feel each other's minds, see what each other feels." He nods and it makes Jim blink.

"Huh." It's about all he can say, and he says it quite dumbly. "So…is this going to affect the way you both work?"

"I fear not." Spock said calmly. "Though once Doctor McCoy clears me for duty he and I will have to make arrangements."

Kirk's hand fell over his mouth a moment and then it fell. "What sort?" he was almost afraid to ask.

"Meditation, he will need it in order to control what emotions may be coming from me."

"From you?" Kirk laughed.

"Our emotions, those of Vulcans, are strong. Though we do our best not to express them they are there none the less." Spock turned his attention on Jim. "My emotions may at times be particularly taxing for him to endure. He may also channel them."

Kirk nodded. "Uh huh…you aren't going to be like some unruly guard dog around him are you?"

Spock seemed amused by the analogy. "No."

"Good." Kirk slapped his knees and stood. "When can I expect you back?"

Before Spock could respond Bones walked in. "When I say so…get out of here visiting hours are over."

Kirk put a hand on McCoy's shoulder. "You sure you're-"

McCoy looked at him with daggers. "Fine, now if you'll kindly butt out."

Kirk nodded. "I'll stop by tomorrow Spock." The Vulcan for his part simply nodded. Kirk looked at Bones and nodded and then moved out of the room whistling as one of the female nurses walked by.

Spock watched with interest as McCoy checked the screens. He reached up pinching the bridge between his eyes. "I'm going to release you in a bit." He said. "You can go back to your quarters tonight and rest." McCoy sighed trying to keep his composure. "And report for light duty tomorrow." He turned looking Spock in the eyes. "I mean LIGHT." He insisted and reached for a hypo and came around the vulcan's left side and pressed it into his neck. "That's should ease your nausea."

Spock nodded. "I did not require it. I am capable of controlling such a feeling."

"I know you can, but I can't stand it anymore and I'm gonna be sick if I keep feeling your stomach churn."

Spock nodded. "I understand. I would like to apologize, had I known the implications of the action… "

McCoy sighed. "I understand…you don't have to explain I get it."

"Do you know how rare this event is?"

"You have been thinking on it for hours Spock." McCoy dropped down into the chair the captain had vacated. "You've been giving me a damned head ache for it."

"My-"

"UT!" McCoy called out. "If you say you are sorry one more time."

Spock for his part simply nodded. "Food." He finally stated. "I have not yet eaten and as you have seen fit to release me I would ask you would accompany me to the mess for a meal."

McCoy sighed. "Fine, but then you need to go get some rest."

"Agreed and so will you." Spock nodded and watched as the Doctor stood and exited the room. Spock lifted the data tablet back up and began to complete his log, though in the back of his mind McCoy was already thinking about 'hobgoblins, and vulcans, and green blood.'

It amused Spock when the question of if his blood would turn green surfaced in the Doctor's mind. It almost made the young vulcan smirk...almost.

* * *

To be concluded...


	3. Irrevocably Linked

Blood Boil:

Chapter 3: Irrevocably Linked

"After marriage a husband and wife become two sides of a coin; they just can't face each other, but they stay together." - Hemant Joshi

* * *

The mess hall was quiet for how late it was. They sat in the corner looking down at half eaten plates. Spock sighed outwardly and it was something McCoy had not witnessed before; apparently he was also affecting the Vulcan. His blank stare must have given him away.

"Does that action shock you?" Spock lowered his fork and blinked. "The sigh." He clarified.

"It unnerved me a bit." McCoy admitted honestly as he poked at the fish on the plate before him. "You don't sigh." He uttered.

Spock tipped his head in acknowledgement. "I am trying to filter out your stronger emotions, but they are unlike mine it will take me some time to adjust to your relative emotional fluctuations." He shifted slowly and reached for his water. "You're not hungry?" Spock changed the conversation not wishing to incur the wrath he could feel just on the other side of the weak barrier McCoy was able to hold between them.

"Well you're still giving off this… nausea… and I just…" he set his fork down.

Spock nodded and tried to bolster his emotional resolve to harness the feelings back. "I understand Doctor and will endeavor to keep the feelings to myself if at all possible." He didn't leave out that he wasn't only projecting them, but part of McCoy was unconsciously pulling them out.

"Where does this leave us?" McCoy asked as his fork poked the food in front of him. He wasn't sure if this constituted for a baked potato or a rock.

"You are doing well enough with the emotional transference. I was concerned after I realized what had happened. I was unsure if you would be emotionally stable enough to endure this."

"I'm always unstable…Green blooded-" He didn't finish it felt wrong to; and the insult died on his lips. "So explain to me what exactly is going on I get the gist of it, but what do your people call it."

"It has no name in Earth vernacular, the closest thing it could equate to is Human Marriage." Spock's brow rose and fell quickly as he assessed his explanation in his mind. He took a drink of water, to gather his thoughts.

McCoy was slack jawed across from him. "You aren't serious…" His voice was low. "Please do not tell me that this will be a recognized…" It took him a moment. "By anyone."

Spock shook his head. "This was an accident in the midst of emergency, it will be overlooked in an official capacity."

"But what does it mean?"

"It means that I now forfeit my newly betrothed on New Vulcan." Spock said evenly picking up the napkin beside him to wipe his hands.

"You said it wouldn't be recognized." McCoy blinked.

"Are you jealous?" Spock's brow rose.

"For being indifferent you sure have a funny way of showing it." McCoy glared. "You're trying to get a rise out of me. It won't work." He stated. "You said it would not be recognized… will it or won't it?"

"Doctor McCoy, if I were to marry I would bond to my betrothed in much the same way you and I have done." He said slowly. "However I can only ever bond to one person and they must be compatible for me to do so. I will only be able to reestablish a mental bond upon your death." He said calmly. "It is fascinating to me that we were able to form such a strong bond over such little contact. A bond like this takes days, sometimes weeks for a full fledged mated pair to achieve."

"Where's our God damned trophy?" His sarcasm was dry and Spock didn't respond to it. McCoy shook his head. "So we're stuck together forever?"

"On the contrary. We will only have to be in close proximity once every seven years." McCoy whited like a sheet, and Spock knew he understood the reaction. "Between that time you are free to be as far from me as you like, though when we are close emotional management will be nessiscary."

McCoy nodded and just listened. "Durring the event every seven years you will need to be with me. While you will have to be close; I will not have to fulfill any physical responsibility with you, there are other…. options that I will have to pursue during Pon Farr. These will be best for both, though you will not be unaffected."

McCoy pushed his plate away and nodded. "That's a relief…but I'll still know what you're doing, feel it, be reacting to it." He muttered rubbing his eyes. "This is just …great." He sighed and leaned back running that same hand up through his hair.

"Yes." Spock said. "And for that I'm sorry Doctor."

McCoy nodded and waved his hand. "Not like we can take it back."

Spock nodded. "It will be beneficial if I teach you meditation."

"Meditation? Are you kidding me?" McCoy shook his head. "I don't think so…"

Spock sighed again trying to filter out the frustration the doctor was pushing his way. "Please Doctor, I understand how this can be inconvenient."

McCoy held up a hand. "I need time to think." He uttered. "How many years until this… Pon Farr?"

Spock looked up. "At least three point six years."

McCoy nodded. "Give me at least a day by myself to think about all this." McCoy said calmly. "Then we'll talk again."

"Of course." Spock said watching the Doctor stand. "Until then… rest well."

"You too…" McCoy wanted to insult him, wanted to toss a colorful metaphor, but why was it: he couldn't.

Spock watched as McCoy stood and turned discarding his tray turning into the hallway.

* * *

When McCoy got back to his quarters he dressed for bed. Usually he'd read but tonight his head was splitting open.

As he laid back in his bed he shifted to get himself more comfortable.

The berth he had was quite small, because his room was not up with senior staff on the main level below the bridge; oh they had wanted him there, but he wouldn't move into a dead man's quarters.

He told them that if there were a medical emergency being three decks away from medical would loose lives. Jim had unwillingly agreed to give him quarters lower in the ship.

His quarters were just off the medical ward. He rolled over and sighed, why did Spock have to be reading. Quantum theory at this time of night; what was he thinking? He couldn't understand but laid back. He could feel Spock focus, and as he laid back he listened to the Vulcan's mind as he pursued the warp theory report that Scotty had put in the day prior.

McCoy didn't understand most of it, but it was a good bedtime story and it lulled him into a false sense of quiet; bored to death didn't even start to describe it.

How the Vulcan's voice, the one he was annoyed with most of the time, could do that; he'd never know. It was something he would trill over later; he was three decks below the Vulcan and on the opposite side of the saucer but could still feel him as if he were a touch away.

He rolled onto his back and let his head loll to the left as he let his mind wander away from himself the drone of the Vulcan's mind was enough to put him asunder for the night.

* * *

to be concluded...


	4. Game plan and chess board

Blood boil:

Chapter 4: Game plan and chess board.

"Accepting all the good and bad about someone. It's a great thing to aspire to. The hard part is actually doing it."  
- Sarah Dessen

* * *

McCoy leaned on the support beam, just on the top of the main ring around the bridge. Spock was seated four meters behind him to the right. Between them lay the walking path to the lift.

"Bones come on!" Kirk smirked looking back at him. "It's a class M planet, lots of plants and wildlife, moderate temperatures!" Kirk smirked. "It'll be fun… it's uncharted!"

"Uncharted yes that will be loads of fun. So will be getting the Tarkalean Flu Jim. You know what happens with the vaccines for things like that and you." He said severely. "I do not want to have to remind you that you cannot just go down there. You need to be examined before, and before I would even allow you back on the ship you will require decontamination! Paperwork Jim, Paperwork!" Bones said as Jim came forward.

"That's why you're going with me!" Kirk sounded way to happy about it.

"I am not leaving this ship." McCoy said.

Spock turned from his console. "Captain I believe it would be more beneficial for the doctor to stay aboard, he will have to see to the post away team decontamination."

"Are you going to stay home too?" Kirk leaned on the rail.

"It would be unwise to allow you to explore a new planet without supervision." Spock said turning back to his screen. McCoy laughed at that and shook his head.

Kirk pointed at McCoy and then it trailed to Spock's back. "You two are starting to be insufferable lately." He shifted slowly and crossed his hands over his chest. "Forests Bones, when was the last time we went camping?"

"When that Denobulan female broke up with you." McCoy stated. "Four days, five nights." He nodded. "Clear Skies and the clearest lake you ever witnessed."

"According to her, we weren't together." He said calmly. "She wanted me to marry her." Kirk laughed slightly.

"And that's a problem captain?" Spock turned to him not having heard this story before.

"I'd have been her third husband." Kirk said and shook his head.

"Jim's afraid of commitment, and he doesn't like to share; no surprise there. The Denobulans are a polygamist society. He could have his cake and eat it too, but so could two other males."

"Back to the subject at hand. Camping." Jim said calmly trying to get out of the conversation. "We should go camping. Come on it'll be good for you. Campfire, roasting marshmellows, telling stories."

"Marshmellows?" Spock turned questioning.

"Sugar candies that melt in fire." McCoy clarified he tried to form a mental picture and Spock nodded having understood. Turning back to Kirk he shook his head. "I don't know Jim, we should wait until shore leave, go back to earth if you want to go camping." McCoy shook his head.

"It would seem that the Doctors idea is more logical, camping in an unknown wilderness would lead to undue risk." Spock droned.

"I think you-" McCoy was cut off as the ship rocked.

"REPORT!" Kirk turned.

Sulu shook his head. "We've got a Romulan ship sir…. Off the port side." He said calmly.

"Spock?" Kirk moved to his chair spinning down into it.

"They are well on our side of the neutral zone boarder." Spock said calmly. "Their shields and weapons are online."

"That was a warning shot I assume?" Kirk asked.

"No damage sir." Sulu responded, "They just wanted to get our attention."

"Well they got it. Hail them…" Kirk Said and sat forward in his chair.

"Frequencies open." Came the reply.

"This is Captain James T. Kirk of the Starfleet Flagship Enterprise, you have fired on us. We are well on our side of the neutral zone, please respond or we will consider it an act of war." He waited.

The screen fluttered to life. "Captain, I believe you are mistaken."

"Who do I have the honor of speaking with?" Spock remained at his side, and McCoy stiffened behind him. Spock tried to keep the emotional fluctuations between the doctor and himself controlled.

"I am Sub-commander Vaebn Neral of the Romulan ship The Hadrian." He said calmly. "You have five minutes to break orbit and return to your side of the neutral zone."

Kirk leaned back. "Last I knew… and I know pretty well Sub-Commander Neral." He smiled brightly. "We're well on our side. I'm sending you a record of our cartography map of this sector and our sensor read out of our location."

The commander waited. "You're a foolishly young race." The Romulan stated. He shifted and the screen changed to a romulan read out. "A star has gone nova, the gravitational shift has pushed this planet out of our space." He stated. "We have a political claim to it. You are ordered to leave orbit immediately."

Kirk looked over the map and then looked over the new chart and nodded. "I wish to contact Star fleet to confirm."

"You have four minutes." The screen went blank.

"Uhura… get me a clean patch to Admiral Pike."

She nodded. "Yes Sir."

"Patch it into my ready room." He stood moving out of the room not casting a glance at anyone.

"So much for his camping rant." McCoy uttered softly and shook his head. Spock turned to his station and sat down looking over the scans. "He won't go for that."

Spock's head turned. "It was you who requested we limit our mental linking."

"Not my fault I can't always control it." McCoy stated. "And he will not go for what you're considering…and if he doesn't you know the Romulans won't."

"I think Mr. Scott would say you should be more optimistic Doctor." Spock said calmly.

"And you know me well enough now that we're…. linked…" the term married fluttered over his mind. "That you know I cannot be."

"And that is completely-"

"Illogical I know." McCoy looked up as Kirk immerged.

"Hail the Romulans, put it on screen." He sat down in his chair. Neral appeared on the screen. "Sub-Commander the federation acknowledges your claim on this planet we will be breaking orbit. We will place a subspace buoy just beyond this systems boarder to alert any future vessels."

Sub-Commander Neral from what McCoy could see seemed pleased with that. "Very well, lay in a course and leave." The screen went blank.

"Well that went well." McCoy shook his head.

"Mr. Sulu get us out of here." Kirk stood and moved to the lift between Spock's station and where McCoy stood. "Spock you have the conn. Get that buoy prepared, and make sure it has a short range scanner on it, I want to keep tabs on the Romulans even if we can't personally be here to do so."

"Yes sir." Spock stood and made his way past McCoy their arms brushing marginally.

"And where are you going?" McCoy asked Kirk as Spock passed him.

"I'm going to look over those charts and get a bourbon." Kirk said turning around in the open lift.

McCoy wasted no time. "I'll join you." He said softly and exited the bridge; he needed to get out of the same room with Spock.

As the lift sealed Kirk shook his head. "You hate stellar cartography." He uttered. "Failed it as I recall."

"I'm a Doctor Jim not a damned navigator." He uttered. "And I didn't fail it, that was you."

"How's life with Spock in your head?" Kirk smirked and leaned back. McCoy shook his head and pinched his eyes at the bridge of his nose. "Awe Come on Bones it isn't that bad I'm sure."

"Oh its fascinating." McCoy said sarcastically.

* * *

Hours later the door to his quarters chimed and Kirk looked up. "Enter." He said looking back down. "So this star went nova, and then these planets were destroyed, and that made these planets fall out of their orbits slightly. "What made this one fall so far?" Kirk shook his head. "I mean that means this chart is completely invalid, and if this planet moved this far…Computer chart the other planets gravitational slip."

The computer began to move planets slowly on the small screen. "Not sure Jim." McCoy said calmly. "Probably noting in the area to hold it, so it floated out until it found a gravitational pull to hold it. The other planets just found something to hold them sooner." It was almost a question but the Doctor was only speculating.

"Without a gravitational hold or a sun, it wouldn't have kept it's atmosphere Bones." Kirk said. "It doesn't make any sense."

Spock entered between them. "A Fascinating hypothesis." He said and knelt down. "Jim had you considered that possibly it could have been towed away?"

"Towed? Like with a tracker beam?" Kirk blinked as Spock took a seat next to McCoy who handed him a data tablet. "Are you sure about that? It's larger than anything we could tow."

"It is only a theory, but given what we know this planet would be irrevocably changed by moving even one kilometer out of its former atmosphere." He shook his head. "There is life, plant and animal matter. It would have all been affected by even the slightest shift in atmospheric conditions." He stated. "That said we have too much to consider."

"The sensors aren't malfunctioning?" McCoy asked sitting back taking his brandy in his hand. "I mean what other explanation is there?"

"Pike said he'd get back to me within the next few hours, so hopefully we'll have some answers then." Looking up he saw Spock and McCoy looking at each other, McCoy's eyes twitched occasionally, and Spock nodded. "Okay it's creepy when you do that."

"It cannot be helped with such close proximity Captain." Spock explained. "Though we will endeavor to speak aloud."

McCoy shook his head and downed the rest of his bourbon, looking annoyed. "What were you telling him Spock?" Kirk laughed.

"That his imbibing should slow." He stated. "He will be restless later."

"So this really is an issue?" Kirk shook his head. The star charts cast aside. "What do we need to do about this gentlemen?"

"It's nothing Jim really." McCoy said calmly and set the empty glass down on the table.

"Nothing my ass, you two either work like a well oiled machine or you argue like an old married couple." Kirk stated leaning back in his chair discarding his work for the moment. "Look I have kept this out of my logs for a good while yet, but I'm starting to think I shouldn't."

"Please Jim do not tell anyone about this." McCoy said calmly.

"Bones I can't keep this anymore it's affecting you and I need you both at the top of your game." Kirk said and then looked to Spock. "What would you do in my position?" He asked.

"I would come to the same logical conclusion which you have." Spock said evenly his eyes darting up from the star chart. "However that said, if you report this in, they may wish to separate us."

"And you don't want that." Kirk said factually.

McCoy bristled and Spock turned putting a hand on his shoulder in a calming gesture. "Do not squeeze." McCoy warned fearful not of the pinch, but of not being able to finish the conversation. Ease washed over his mind.

"I would never." Spock said and kept his hand where it was turning to Kirk. "This meld bond is still in its infancy, we need adaptation time before we can be separated." Spock with drew his hand and Kirk did note how much more tension had melted out of McCoy's frame.

"How much time?" Kirk asked. "Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to split you both apart at all, but I need to know how long this is going to continue."

"I fear at least six months." Spock said. "Unless the Doctor agrees to meditation, and then we may be able to lesson that adaptation time."

"Well Bones?" Kirk looked at McCoy.

McCoy looked between them. "Damned turned him against me too." He shook his head at Spock and then looked to Kirk. "Fine I'll do it."

"Good, now lets try to get back to these charts I want to know how this planet managed to move light years across a map, without it effecting the planet." He muttered.

"Unless the Romulans have found a way to Transport a whole planet…" McCoy said calmly, but it was in the context of a joke.

"If that is the case I would not mention it to Mr. Scott, he would be very put out that someone did it before he could." Spock said calmly and lifted up another data tablet and began to scroll through sub-space sensor readings.

McCoy cast Spock a glance and shook his head.

* * *

They walked relatively silently from Kirk's quarters down the corridor. "Would you like to have a drink?" Spock asked as he stopped at his doorway. McCoy could tell there was no other motive and that he was being polite.

"No thank you Spock I will return to my quarters." McCoy nodded. "Try not to be up so late."

"You're sleeping would be more improved if you were closer." Spock stated. "Can I not convince you to take the command quarters on this level?"

"In the event of an emergency-"

Spock cut him off. "You would be just as far from medical when awake on the bridge if not farther." He stated. "Distance to medical is an illogical reason to deny quarters."

McCoy sighed and saw an ensign down the hall. "Go the hell inside I don't want to be watched in the corridor. I think I'll take that drink."

Spock nodded and opened his door stepping inside. McCoy walked in and turned around and found a seat near a long table and sat down putting his hand on his head. "I'm getting headaches at night when you read."

"I am aware, and I have been trying to choose texts that will not give you such distress." Spock said calmly. "I apologize-"

"Stop saying you're sorry you damned Vulcan." McCoy bit out but tried not to yell. He lowered his head putting his fingers on his temple.

Spock came forward and sat on the table top just in front of the doctor. "Doctor."

McCoy sighed and looked up at him. "What?" He asked frustrated.

Spock's hand came forward taking the human's right hand in his left. He reached up with his own right hand placing it on McCoy's face. "My thoughts to your thoughts-" To which McCoy fell into the Vulcan's mind.

* * *

When McCoy came back to himself he sat up on the small lounger to which he was laying. "Spock?" he asked. The Vulcan sat at the opposite end of the lounger at McCoy's feet his eyes closed but sitting still and erect.

"Spock?" McCoy tried again, his voice was horse, but it still functioned.

The Vulcan took a deeper breath and opened his eyes turning his head. "I was trying not to disturb you."

McCoy shook his head. "What did you do to me?"

"I strengthened our bond." Spock said calmly. "It is not physically invasive but it did assist in helping you achieve restful sleep." He said calmly. "I do hope it was restful."

McCoy nodded. "You weren't in my head."

"On the contrary I was in your head. That culminating with our proximity gave you relative calm." Spock stated and stood moving over to get the Doctor a glass of water. "I would also ask that you reconsider the move to command quarters."

McCoy sighed. "If I say yes will you stop badgering me about it?" He asked.

"Of course, if you consent then I will not need to inquire again." Spock returned and set the glass of water before the doctor. "Please you are dehydrated."

"I'm a God Damned doctor-" He stopped and sighed. "Why can't I insult you?" He frowned.

Spock sat beside him placing a calming hand on his shoulder. "The bond is acting in my favor." He admitted calmly.

"Well that's just…peachy." McCoy stated and took a drink, he didn't know what time it was but he sure as hell didn't think he could sleep anymore tonight.

"A game of chess doctor?" Spock asked.

"I'm a bit rusty." McCoy said as Spock began to stand to gather the three-dimensional board and the box of pieces.

"Well than this is a perfect opportunity." He said calmly.

"Shouldn't we get back with Jim about the planet shift out of Romulan space?" McCoy asked forwardly.

"I am sure that Jim will contact us as soon as he has heard from Admiral Pike."

McCoy sighed "Logically."

"Yes Doctor…" Spock seemed pleased by the statement. "Logically."

* * *

To be concluded...


	5. CompletedUp next: Coiled

Blood boil:

Completed and will be continued on in the Fanfiction COILED

Thank you so much

Fullstop Blaster


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